http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CNCFoamcutters/
This is a group about foam cutters, I have a Foamlinx cutter also but I haven't had a chance to mess with it yet. From what I read cutting anything other than a wing profile can be a bit tricky which is what I want to do, as soon as I have some time I will figure it out. The software uses percentages of the length for thickness. Anyone here convert dxf to dat ?

Take a look at Litcut. Its a "visualization" tool but I haven't had a chance to get it to work.

It took me about 4 hours to setup the Foamlinx machine. Currently I have it tweaked to go at 1.5 mm/sec on the X axis.

I'm working with Tal to see if I can tweak it a bit so I can better cut swept wings. Another fellow on the Yahoo site upgraded the motors and board but I'm seeing if I can just upgrade the power supply.

I custom built my machine but am using FoamLinx hardware, stepper motors, controller card, power supplies etc. If your machine has 1/4"-20 threads 1.5mm per sec is about all your going to get. If you change your screw threads to comething coarser like 3/8"-16 you'll pick up some speed. No, you can't just increase the voltage going to the motors unless you put some power resistors in line with the coils of the motors.

I use a program called CreatDat to creat almost all of my dat files from My AutoCad drawings. It's not perfect but it's the best I've used to dat. Here is the link to the free download. http://213.97.27.39/aero/cnc_bcn/cnc_bcn.html. Good Luck

When you say to change the screw threads to 3/8"-16, do you have to change the lead screw as well?

I'm looking to at least double the speed as I'm cutting some cores with "moderate" sweepback and am having problems with temperature. Speeding up the cut will definitely help.

I just tried some Iconel wire and it does work much better than the wire supplied with my kit from Foamlinx. I think I saw a thread where the wire was fishing lead.

I've sent a few emails to Tal and his next generation of cutters will be faster and he is working with me to help me get my speed up. He is intent on making me happy and I'd like to recognize his efforts.

Looks like I'm going to go with higher voltage and upgraded motors.

Anyone intersted in going into a group buy for Iconel wire? The forum on Yahoo has done it.

Maybe I'm using the wrong words. The long 1/4-20" threaded rod you currently have that powers the X and Y Rails and the drive nuts can be changed to a lower pitch threaded rod. Now, I'm not sure how hard this will be on the FoamLinx machine, or if it's possible at all. If you go from 20 threads per inch down to 10 threads per inch you will double the speed of the machine. If you then up the voltage and use resistors you will gain another 20% or so. I may upgrade my power supply and add the resistors but as soon as Tal has his new board ready, I'm going to put that bad boy in my machine and waste foam even faster then I am now. My garbage man must hat me. If you need any help generating good dat files you can send me the Acad file and I will see what I can do. Tal is in deed a good guy to deal with.

I am only using his board, motors and power supplies. I designed and built my own machine using precission linear rails for both the X and Y axis. I have about $700.00 invested in it and a good hundred hours of labor but I hope it is a different league then Tal's machine even though I'm sure his is fine. I have No play what so ever in may rails. I've been having a ball cutting just about anything I can think of. I really like it when modelers come over to the house and I show them what the machine can do. If you would like to see something I cut with my machine you can take a look at the Foamie section of this group. Go down until you see a post called Fight Master Foam Flying Wing.

Good Luck with your machine, and have fun making small pieces of foam out of big pieces.

I'm not new to CNC, but I am to CNC foam cutting. I'm currently building a modified version of the "Rustica" machine. So far, I've asemble most of my major framework bits, and will start putting them together this weekend. I'm using some hefty aluminum channel for the main support rails, with 1" OD Aluminum tube for the roller guides. I know it's overkill, but too much stiffness never hurt anyone, right? It's what was easily found at the scrapyard in enough quantity to do the job.

I still need to procure steppers, bearings, threaded rod, and a control board, as well as all the little fastening-type thingies. I'm having fun just working out the cutter - I can't imagine what fun I'll have once it's built!